Mangaluru: With an aim to unlock the vast tourism potential of Coastal Karnataka, the State government has assured complete support and encouragement to investors willing to invest in the tourism sector, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday.
He was speaking at the valedictory session of the Coastal Karnataka Tourism Conclave held at a private hotel in Attavar, Mangaluru. The conclave was inaugurated earlier in the day by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the Congress-led government was committed to fulfilling its promises. “We mean what we say and we implement what we promise. Those who come forward to invest in tourism in Coastal Karnataka will receive full cooperation and encouragement from the government,” he said, adding that several investors had already shown interest and the government appreciated their confidence.
11 Beaches Identified for Blue Flag Certification:
Earlier, Tourism Department Secretary K.V. Thrilok Chandra informed that the Karnataka Tourism Department has identified 11 beaches across the coastal districts as potential candidates for development under the internationally recognised Blue Flag certification.
The identified beaches include Someshwara, Ullal and Sasihitlu in Dakshina Kannada district; Asare, Kodi Kanyana, Padukere, Kodi Kundapur and Shiroor in Udupi district; and Bailur, Apsarakonda and Rabindranath Tagore Beach in Uttara Kannada district.
Mr. Chandra said that developing these beaches to Blue Flag standards would require an estimated investment of ₹142.06 crore. The development plan includes awareness and educational programmes, installation of information signage, introduction of adventure and water sports activities, organisation of beach festivals and events, regular beach cleaning, scientific waste collection and disposal, water quality testing, and maintenance of public convenience facilities.
Tourist Footfall on the Rise:
Highlighting the growing tourism trend, the Tourism Secretary said domestic tourist footfall in Coastal Karnataka increased from 28 crore in 2023 to 30 crore in 2024, while foreign tourist arrivals rose from 4.09 lakh to 4.85 lakh during the same period.
“Although Coastal Karnataka attracts a large number of tourists, it is still considered under-developed. The region has immense potential for tourism and hospitality development,” he said, adding that 21 to 38 per cent of Karnataka’s total tourist visits are accounted for by the coastal districts.
River Cruise Tourism and Beach Shack Policy:
Mr. Chandra also said that five national waterways have been identified in Karnataka for promoting river cruise tourism. These include the Kali river (National Waterway Route No. 52 – 53 km), Sharavati river (NWR No. 90 – 29 km), Gurupura river (NWR No. 43 – 10 km), Netravathi river (NWR No. 74 – 30 km) and Kabini river (NWR No. 51 – 23 km).
He further explained that the proposed Karnataka Beach Shack Policy aims to regulate and promote eco-friendly, sustainable and responsible tourism along the State’s coastline, with a focus on local community participation, environmental conservation and quality visitor experience.
Need for Separate Coastal Tourism Policy: D.K. Shivakumar
In his inaugural address, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stressed the need to remove hurdles affecting coastal tourism through lawful means and underlined the necessity of framing a separate and independent tourism policy for the coastal region.
He said directions had been issued to prepare a comprehensive action plan involving the Deputy Commissioners of the three coastal districts, senior officials, elected representatives and stakeholders from the tourism sector.
Describing the coastal belt as a land of beauty, education and wealth, Mr. Shivakumar expressed concern over the region remaining backward despite its immense potential. “This region has a nearly 300-km-long coastline and a rich legacy of contributing to banking, education and discipline in the country. It is an education hub producing medical, engineering and pre-university graduates. Such a system is not seen in any other district of the State,” he said.
He noted that despite having beaches and natural resources comparable to Goa, people from the region continue to migrate to other States and abroad for employment. “Somewhere, we have faltered. To correct this and attract investors, a separate coastal tourism policy is essential. This conclave is the first step in that direction,” he added.
Tourism Should Be Treated as an Industry: Speaker
Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader said the coastal districts play a crucial role in Karnataka’s development and urged the government to treat tourism as an industry.
“Just as land is acquired and infrastructure is provided for industries through KIADB, similar support should be extended for tourism projects, including beach and river tourism. This will encourage investors. The Tourism and Industries Departments must jointly take a comprehensive decision,” he said.
Uttara Kannada MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri also called for increased investment in tourism in his district, pointing out that the region has abundant natural resources such as beaches, rivers and waterfalls, and expressed hope that eco-friendly livelihood-oriented tourism projects would be developed.
Dignitaries Present
Among those present were Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Udupi district in-charge Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Uttara Kannada district in-charge Minister Mankal Vaidya, MPs Captain Brijesh Chowta and Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLAs Vedavyas Kamath, Suresh Kumar, Rajesh Naik, Yashpal Suvarna, Suresh Gurmey, Kishore Kumar, Kiran Kodgi, Satish Sail, Ivan D’Souza and Rajegowda, besides Chief Minister’s Political Secretary Naseer Ahmed and heads of various corporations and boards.
Tourism Commissioner Akram Pasha welcomed the gathering, while Manjula Shetty compered the programme.